


Kaydence

by Hisha



Series: Auntie Hornet [7]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Female Grimm, Grimm went through countless lifetimes and genders and was never straight in any of them, Minor OC Death, Nightmare King is a gender-neutral title, Or rather female Grimmchild grew up into Grimm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 01:21:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20733896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hisha/pseuds/Hisha
Summary: While visiting the physical realm on her own, Grimm comes across a bug in need of help.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a small bonus fic to introduce some OCs and give some context for the next one. Obviously, it became a bit longer and more important than anticipated.  
Also : Atalanta is loosely based on a red admiral butterfly!

While the Troupe only showed up to a kingdom when called, it wasn't uncommon for individual members to set off into the physical realm on their own for a few hours. After all, one bug could only stay in the tent for so long before wishing for a change in scenery. Even the King of Nightmares herself could get bored of the Nightmare Realm after a while, and visiting places that weren't dead kingdoms was always quite interesting.

Also, she could sometimes come across dream essence for the Needle of Unity that Divine and the Grimmkins had made for her.

She had been working with it for years now. Always little by little, always avoiding the dreams&nightmares of Dirtmouth. She didn't want to risk attracting her aunt's attention to her activities.

The trees stood impossibly tall, not minding the numerous bugs climbing all over and in some cases inside of them. Everywhere she looked, everywhere she listened, there was something alive there. A line of forager ants traveling back and forth between a food source and their colony. The flutter of wings high above. Rays of light filtering through the leaves and making some creature's shell shine briefly. She was observing all of this from her hiding place behind a large rock.

In a place like this, she couldn't help but wonder... In the Nightmare Realm with her Troupe, she was Master Grimm ; in Dirtmouth & the ruins of Hallownest with her aunt, she was Scarlet, so... When she was in neither, like right now, who was she?

Her scarlet eyes spotted, deeper into the forest, a dark-coloured butterfly flying too close to a bush full of long, sharp thorns.

Atalanta's wandering mind had never caused her much harm before, but there was a first time for everything.

By the time she was able to focus on the present again it was too late to fully avoid the thorns. She fell onto the leaves and moss below, her right wing feeling like on fire. And, as if the situation wasn't bad enough, rain started falling around her.

The long string of profanities that escaped her was cut short by an unfamiliar raspy voice right next to her asking :

“Can I help you?”

The butterfly first saw a hand extended ; she took it and it helped her stand up. It was strangely warm. When she saw who it belonged to, she took a step back and nearly fell down again.

She had never seen a creature quite like this one. And their eyes... there was something about those glowing scarlet eyes that seemed to peer into her very soul.

“Th-thank you”, Atalanta managed to say, still remembering her manners. “I-I went exploring a bit and now...”

She looked around and realised she did not recognise this part of the woods. Darn it.

“Let me see your wing”, the stranger instructed her.

She turned her back to them so they could have a clear view of her injury. The left wing was fine, but a thorn had ripped through her right one from the rust-coloured streak near the middle to the tip. She heard the other wince.

“It does not look pretty... But maybe with proper care... you _might_ be able to fly again. Would probably take a while though.”

She turned around again, and the rain suddenly got more intense. Then thunder started roaring way up in the sky.

“Oh, just my luck”, the butterfly complained.

“Better find shelter quickly”, the other added. “Hum... maybe the ant nest I spotted on the way here could offer their help to wandering ladies like us?”

“What choice do we have...” Atalanta shrugged.

The taller bug (this _was_ a bug, right?) offered her hand again, and once more the butterfly took it.

Then they were all of a sudden in a different place, nearby an ant nest, despite not having moved at all. Atalanta stared in confusion ; the other simply let go of her hand and stated :

“You quickly get used to it.”

“That... doesn't explain anything.”

“I think you should be the one to ask the ants for help.”

Thunder resonated again, closer this time ; Atalanta walked to the nest's entrance, the stranger standing a few steps behind.

Two workers inside were already placing rocks and dirt to close off the doorway against the storm. The butterfly asked them and the guard standing right behind if they'd be willing to help a poor injured bug and her... friend.

“'Can't let strangers in, sorry.”

The one with the scarlet eyes appeared right next to Atalanta, making everyone else jump in surprise.

“There is a _storm_”, she reminded the soldier. “And she is injured. Do you realise just how deadly-”

“Rules are rules and the rules says no outsiders in the nest.”

“And you're willing to let her die?!” the stranger yelled.

The workers quickly finished closing off the doorway.

“Answer me you cowards!” she continued, banging on the newly-constructed door.

As if on cue, thunder roared even louder and closer.

Atalanta hesitated, then placed a calming hand on the other's arm.

“Let's just... find somewhere else.”

The rain was pouring hard and soaking the both of them.

“The quicker we can get out of the rain, the better”, the stranger said. “Water isn't exactly my element.”

Atalanta nodded. Unfortunately, she was all out of ideas. Fortunately, her mysterious companion wasn't.

“I guess taking you to my realm would be the quickest way. My kin will tend to your injuries, then I will bring you back to your home.”

“Where's your realm?”

“Everywhere. Now cover your eyes.”

The butterfly covered her face with both hands while the other held onto her.

The sound of thunder and heavy rain suddenly stopped. All Atalanta could hear was a distant beating sound, almost too quiet to hear. She uncovered her eyes when the stranger let go of her.

They stood before a large tent. Its entrance looked... almost like a face frozen in silent scream.

“Oh, I am deeply sorry”, the rescuer apologised, “I forgot my manners and never asked your name!”

“Atalanta. And you?”

“I am Grimm. Nice meeting you, though it would have been even nicer in more favourable conditions.”

“...Likewise. But... where are we?”

“With the Troupe. Follow me.”

The butterfly did as instructed and followed Grimm into the tent. Another bug wearing half a mask was there to welcome them.

“Welcome back, Master- Oh! You found a new recruit?”

“No. She simply needs medical care and shelter from the storm.”

Grimm snapped her fingers and a small group of floating masked creatures appeared and gathered around the Troupe's guest, judging her wounds.

“I guess we should find you somewhere to lay down”, the Troupe Master told her.

“Oh, just let her use your bed!” the half-masked lady said. “You don't use it.”

“I do use it. To put more books on.”

“Well... Just put them elsewhere! For our guest.”

Grimm admitted this was the sensible thing to do, then disappeared.

The floating creatures guided Atalanta to their Master's room. When they arrived, said Master was moving one last pile of books from the bed to her desk. She had shelves of course, but all of them were occupied by more books and a collection of trinkets, presumably all from different places. Music was playing from another room. Atalanta could distinguish two similar-sounding instruments, one of which had a more confident, better musician than the other.

“Now you can lay down and let my kin patch you up”, the Troupe Master said.

Her guest laid down on her front and opened up her wings.

She was in a stranger's bedroom, in a place she didn't know, in a vulnerable state. By all rights, she should be terrified ; but she figured that had Grimm or her entourage meant her any harm, it would have already happened... right?

The taller creature was now sitting at her desk and reading while the small floating beings carefully patched up the butterfly's wing with what they could find, including... was this spider silk?

“I have... many questions”, Atalanta said.

“You are in the Grimm Troupe's tent”, the other said without looking away from her book. “We travel across the world.”

“Like a travelling circus.”

Grimm just hummed in response.

“A circus came by once when I was a caterpillar...” her guest trailed off, trying to remember.

“I guarantee you it was _not_ us.”

“This lady at the entrance asked if I was a new recruit. Are you hiring?”

“We are not.”

They both fell silent after that. The smaller creatures finished their task and left. The music in the next room stopped.

Atalanta must have fallen asleep at some point because she woke up to a slightly darker, completely quiet room and Grimm hanging upside-down from the ceiling next to the bed, apparently sleeping.

Well, that explained the “you don't use your bed” comment, the butterfly thought.

She wondered how rude it would be to just get up and explore the circus while everyone was asleep.

Slowly, quietly, she got up and stretched her limbs. Her wing wasn't fully healed yet, not by a long shot, but at least moving it a little didn't hurt anymore.

She just stood in place, worried that moving from her spot might wake her host. After a moment, she sat down on the bed. Maybe she should just go back to sleep for now. She might ask for a proper tour of the tent later. Though, what she really should do as soon as possible was get home and tell her brother what had happened. He must be wondering where she went...

When the butterfly woke up again, Grimm was still hanging from the ceiling ; however she was awake now and holding a book in front of her face with one hand.

Atalanta sat up, said good morning (the other greeted her back but did not move), and one of those floating creatures appeared and gave her a tall glass of sugar water. She thanked it and it disappeared again.

As she drank, she observed her host. She couldn't quite make out the title of the book. Was it even in a language she knew?

Grimm was still wrapped up in her own wings like she was before, but with her arm out there was now a gap in her cover revealing a little bit of red-coloured thorax. It seemed the inside of her wings was red as well.

None of this really told her just what exactly the Troupe Master was, nor answered any other question.

“Seeing something you like?” she asked Atalanta while still reading.

“Wha- oh, I'm- I'm sorry, I didn't... I didn't mean to stare. It's just... I've never seen anything like you before. I'm sorry.”

She laughed nervously, gripping the bed sheet with both hands.

“Well...” Grimm disappeared, then reappeared in a puff of red smoke right in front of her guest, standing upright on the ground and storing the book somewhere under her own wing. “Of course you haven't. There _is_ only one of me after all. At least until I have a child.”

“How are you going to if there's only one of you?”

“We are not here to discuss my biology. How are you feeling?”

“Better”, Atalanta replied. “Your... helpers did a good job. I owe them- and you- a huge thanks.”

“You don't owe us anything”, her host assured her. “We only did what had to be done. Now, whenever you are ready, I can take you back to... wherever you live.”

The music from another room started again, but with only one instrument and a different melody.

The butterfly stood up from the bed and stretched again.

“My brother must be worried about me by now”, she said while still doing her morning stretches, “so we'd better get there quickly. How will I see you again though?”

“You... actually want to see me again?”

The genuine surprise in Grimm's voice made Atalanta stop mid-stretch. This was a moment of vulnerability she did not expect from her host, and the implications of it broke her heart a little.

“Of course I do!” she assured her, straightening up. “You have been so kind to me. I... I don't know if I would have been able to escape the thunderstorm in my state had you not been there...”

“I already told you : you do not owe us anything. And I will check in on you you later to see if the silk holds up and everything.”

“Where did you get silk, by the way?”

“It was a gift.”

Grimm left to fetch some breakfast for the both of them. She soon came back with a flower and piece of fruit to drink. Atalanta cut her morning exercises short. She couldn't push herself too far before her injury was completely healed, after all.

The next moment, she was sitting on the bed feeding on the small flower and her host was sitting at her desk drinking from the piece of cherry.

“Do you get a lot of visitors?” Atalanta asked after finishing the flower.

“Hum?”

“For the circus, I mean.”

“Oh. That. This place is... a bit empty. But we won't stay here forever. Speaking of, the two of us should be going now.”

Grimm stood up and gestured the other to come closer. Once the butterfly was in range, the Troupe Master placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I can take you back where I found you. Will you be able to find your way after that?”

Atalanta hesitated. She had flown pretty far and wasn't sure whether she could find her way back on foot. She explained this to the other.

“We'll find a way”, Grimm said.

Atalanta and Grimm were now back where they first met. Or rather, the latter had teleported them on a branch somewhere above where they first met. Maybe an elevated view would help the butterfly retrace her steps better.

And it did. It took a while and a lot of wandering around, but they eventually found the clearing the butterfly and many other local bugs called home.

“I guess this is where we say goodbye”, Grimm said.

“I'm looking forward to seeing you again.”

“You do?”

Atalanta nodded. Her gaze went back and forth between her home and the Troupe Master for a moment, then she waved goodbye and walked forwards.

Grimm stayed behind to look for the ghosts of those who did not survive the storm. Not that she would let the butterfly know that she was doing that, or that she was even still around. No, this was a task between herself and the ghosts only.

Somewhere in the grass still soaked from the previous pouring rain, she eventually found one standing over his own mud-covered corpse. He looked a lot like Atalanta, with a similar height and build and dark wings with a rust-coloured streak in them just like hers.

He seemed very confused as to how he was still there after getting caught in the storm.

“Hey, have you seen my sister?” he asked. “She wasn't home...”

“Atalanta?” Grimm guessed.

“So you've met her! Did she make it?”

“She is alive and safe”, she assured him. “Don't you worry.”

The ghost let out a huge sigh of relief despite not needing to breath anymore.

“Thank you, stranger. Thank you so much.”

He could be at peace now.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the clearing, Grimm's scarlet eyes could see Atalanta looking for her brother.

Atalanta eventually found her brother's corpse, almost hidden in the mud. She sat next to it for the rest of the day and the following night.

In the morning, Grimm came back to check in on her, as promised. She saw the scene but offered no comment. Instead, she silently sat next to her.

“...He was so close to home”, the butterfly said eventually, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Was he looking for me?”

“I am sorry for your loss.”

“...Did I tell you about that one time another circus came here?”

“I think you've mentioned it, yes”, Grimm recalled.

“Our whole family went”, Atalanta told her. “I don't remember much, but I do remember this one dancer... She was so beautiful, so graceful, so... I wanted to be like her. And so did my brother. He quickly found out he preferred singing though. I stuck to dancing. Singing was never my forte.”

“I am sure you must be better at it than I am.”

“Don't put yourself down like this!”

“I would sing to myself sometimes as a child”, the Troupe Master explained, “but now... You do not want to hear this voice sing. Trust me.”

“...Sorry, I forgot where I was going with- What was I talking about again?”

“Something about your brother and a circus.”

The butterfly nodded and continued her story :

“After it left, we wondered if we could become performers too. And after our metamorphosis it sort of... became an in-joke between us that if the circus ever came back we would join it. It never actually came back. And now, even if it did... it's too late for him.”

As she talked she started leaning into Grimm, and realised just how tired and cold she felt after sitting out here for so long, and how nice the warmth of the other's body felt.

Bug bodies weren't usually warm. Why was this one warm? Was she even a bug at all?

Grimm carefully slid one arm under Atalanta's wings and pulled her into a gentle side-hug. For a while, neither of them moved or said anything. Eventually, Grimm asked :

“How's your wing?”

“Still too fragile to fly properly”, the butterfly replied, “but if I'm careful it should be fine, right?”

The other hummed.

“We should get your bandages changed.”

“Can you... can you help me bury him first?”


	2. Chapter 2

The guest was back in the tent now, and being tended to by Grimmkins in another room. Neither Brumm nor Divine could remember the last time someone who wasn't a Troupe member nor participating in the Ritual in any way came here more than once. Had it happened before? They assumed that given how long the Troupe had existed, most things that could happen had probably already occurred at some point before either of them joined.

Zephyr, the only one of Divine's children who hadn't left the nest, adjusted the mask on his face and sat on the ground as the two older bugs talked.

“I bet she will join us... eventually”, said Zephyr's mother.

“Mrmm. I am not making bets with you”, Brumm replied. “Not since last time.”

She covered her mouth with one claw and gave out a small laugh.

“Either way it's very generous of the Master to help her like this”, Zephyr said, tracing random shapes in the dirt with the tip of his claw.

“Also...” Divine added, “Master's bed hadn't seen a lady in a couple lifetimes, I think.”

“It hadn't seen anyone in a long time”, the old musician thought aloud.

“Of course you'd know this”, the half-masked lady replied.

Her son looked up from the ground and at Brumm. He opened his mouth to ask something but then decided to keep quiet instead, as that kind of question might make future accordion lessons with his mentor awkward.

“Let us focus on this cycle rather than the previous one, shall we?” said Grimm from behind them.

No-one commented on her suddenly being here, as they were all used to that kind of things. They did however nod in agreement at her words.

“Now, I should escort her back to her home again”, she added before disappearing once more.

The others remained silent for a long moment after that.

“Zephyr?” Brumm finally said. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Maybe you could bring your circus here”, Atalanta suggested as she and Grimm stood near the clearing. “I'd like to see your show.”

“The Troupe come when called, and... thriving kingdoms do not call us.”

“That's... odd.”

“So is life”, the Troupe Master shrugged.

“What do you even do in the-”

“I really must be off now, but if you so wish I can check in on you again later.”

The butterfly grabbed Grimm's side and looked up at her, pleading :

“Don't leave me alone again. Please. All our other siblings moved away long ago. There's just me left here now... I- I know I've already taken so much of your time and I'm very sorry for that but...”

She trailed off and looked away as though she might be able to find the right words in the grass and trees.

“You have every right to demand what you need”, Grimm reassured her. “Besides, I didn't have anything planned today anyway.”

Atalanta nodded and guided her into a hollow tree on the edge of the clearing. Several apartments had been built into it for a few different families ; they entered one on the third floor.

The butterfly told her guest to take a chair by the table and went to take a look at her pantry. There were still some pieces of fruits in various states of freshness in there. She picked an overripe one for herself and a fresher one for Grimm, then sat down with her.

The apartment had just the one room with the door on one wall, a window on the opposite one, and the food storage and bunk beds against the remaining two. The table and chairs sat at the center of it all.

“Thank you so much for staying”, Atalanta said, handing food to her guest.

“While I do appreciate your gratitude, I am simply doing what needs to be done. At least I hope so. Do you need anything else from me?”

“Hum... Just... be here. I think I need a distraction from it all right now.”

They ate in silence for the next few minutes. Once Grimm had finished, she said :

“So, I believe you mentioned something about you being a dancer?”

Atalanta perked up.

“Yes!” she replied enthusiastically. “I'm... not at my best right now, but I can still- I can do something.”

She stood up, told the other to do the same, and pushed the furniture to the side with the ease of someone who had to do this regularly. She invited Grimm to a dance and she accepted.

Atalanta led and her guest followed, matching her every step.

“I see you know what you're doing”, the butterfly commented.

“Did you expect anything less of me?” Grimm asked, smiling with her eyes.

The shorter bug dipped her low as she replied :

“I didn't. You're a professional, are you not?”

Then she swiftly brought her back upright. Grimm took the lead for a few moments, Atalanta took over again, and they went back and forth like this for a while.

Until the butterfly stopped and laughed a little.

“Look at us”, she said. “If someone were to walk in on us dancing like that, they'd never guess we only met... two days ago? Yes, only two days.”

“Familiarity just comes faster with some bugs. I would not be able to pinpoint how or why, though.”

Atalanta nodded. Then she served them both some water, as all that dancing had left them thirsty.

She sat down on the bottom bed to drink ; Grimm picked up one of the chairs and set it down to sit in front of her.

She could recognise the signs of a wandering mind on her host's face and patiently waited for it to come back to the present. After a moment, Atalanta shook her head, maybe trying to chase away some thought?

“So, hum...” she said. “Why don't you tell me about yourself?”

Grimm replied with what little information she could share with a... well her host wasn't a stranger anymore, she guessed. Were they friends already? It was too soon to say it with confidence. She had seen more of her than she would of most bugs in the same amount of time, sure, but did she really _know_ her?

“So you _have_ a family”, Atalanta said after her guest mentioned auntie Hornet in passing. “When you said there was only one of you, I thought...”

“I was adopted into her family around the time my birth father died”, Grimm explained. “I came back and stepped into the role of Troupe Master later.”

“Oh. I'm sorry.”

“It was all part of the cycle.”

The butterfly's gaze slowly went downwards, her mind probably going somewhere else again.

“Sorry”, she said as she looked back up at her guest, “would you mind sitting with me for a while?”

She patted the space next to herself on the bed ; Grimm blinked.

“Just sitting?” she asked just to be sure she wasn't misinterpreting anything.

“Huh? Oh- yes, of course”, Atalanta laughed nervously while rubbing the back of her neck with one hand, “it's just, hum... you feel so nice and warm?”

“Doesn't it feel strange to you?”

“Yes, but it's also really nice. I don't know how to explain it.”

Grimm left the chair and sat right against the butterfly's side. The latter gently leaned into her and stayed there not moving for a while... and eventually dozed off.

Atalanta woke up a couple hours later comfortably laying on her bed. Alone. She sat up. The chairs and table had been moved back to the center of the room, and a note had been left for her there. She got up and checked it out : it just said “_I will be right back – love, G_”.

She let out a sigh of relief knowing that Grimm hadn't just left her alone forever ; yet she couldn't help some guilt piercing through for taking up so much of her time. She had a Troupe to run, surely more important things needed her attention.

The butterfly glanced at the window : it was open. She set the note back down on the table, turned to the window again, and found the mysterious tall creature laying across the frame, waving at her.

Then Grimm disappeared and reappeared next to her in a puff of red smoke. She reached under her wing and pulled out a flower for Atalanta.

The latter thanked her warmly, took it and started consuming it immediately.

“Do you feel better after your little nap?” Grimm asked once the other had set down what was left of the flower on the table.

“Hum... yes, a little. I guess I really needed it. Sorry for falling asleep on you, though.”

“I hadn't seen anyone be this comfortable around me in quite some time.”

“Because you're not like the other bugs”? Atalanta guessed.

The taller bug (?) nodded.

“It's like...” the shorter bug said. “I know some are wary of anything unusual but I am not sure I fully understand this mindset. There is such beauty and wonders to be found in the unusual.”

“Thank you.”

“I mean it”, the butterfly insisted.

She then went to her pantry to get something for her guest to eat. She gave her a good morsel and went to close the window.

“I'm both surprised and grateful you're still here with me instead of with your Troupe”, Atalanta said, turning to the other lady again.

“I know they can manage without me for a while. They did just fine for years before I was ready to fully take over my father's role.”

Grimm sat on a chair to finish her food.

“You shouldn't neglect your responsibilities for me, though” Atalanta told her.

“Giving you support in a time of need is also important, is it not?”

“Maybe I should just join, that way you could do both.”

“Atalanta? With all due respect, this is a terrible reason to leave your life behind.”

“I don't have much to leave behind anymore, do I now?”

“You do not realise how big a decision this would truly be. Do not take it lightly.”

The butterfly sighed. This was her opportunity to leave this place ; why did it escape her? What was left for her in this apartment now? Wasn't she good enough for the Troupe Master?

“Just... please keep me in mind if you ever need someone in the future.”

A couple months passed. The Troupe Master was finally having a couple Grimmkins install more bookshelves in her room like she should have done ages ago. Soon her newest books would no longer clog her desk or the bed.

As she directed the Grimmkins, Divine approached the room, stopping right before actually entering.

“Making room for your mate, Master?” she teased.

Grimm stopped what she was doing mid-gesture. The smaller floating creatures also froze in their task.

“My what?”

“That butterfly”, Divine added.

“She's not my mate. I do not have a mate.”

“You do spend a lot of time with her. You don't have to anymore, right? But you still do.”

The Troupe Master told the Grimmkins to get back to work, then she focused her attention on her old friend again.

“Spending time with someone doesn't automatically make them your mate”, she said.

“She is cute though, yes?” the half-masked bug insisted. “Very cute.”

She was right on that last point, but Grimm feared that admitting it out loud would only convince Divine she was also correct on everything else.

Yes, Atalanta was pretty cute and Grimm enjoyed spending time with her, but did that mean she wanted to have that kind of relations with her?

...Well, to be honest with herself, she wouldn't say no if her butterfly friend asked. Keeping what they currently had without adding mating into the mix would also be just fine. She gave some thought to both possibilities for a moment. Atalanta would probably prefer the second option.

“She may not be interested”, the Troupe Master finally said.

“Can't know if you don't try!” Divine smiled. “Go out! Go have fun!”

With her wing injury a distant memory by now, Atalanta could practice the full range of her three-dimensional ballet. She was outside in the clearing to do just that. She started slow on the ground then took off, twirling into the air and seamlessly going back and forth between it and the ground without ever interrupting her dance.

After she landed one final time, Grimm, who had just arrived, gave her a standing ovation.

“Oh, hello!” the butterfly greeted her. “Didn't see you there. Let's go in.”

The taller creature took the shorter one's hand and the next second they were standing in the apartment in front of the window.

“Are you ever going to tell me how you do this?” Atalanta asked.

“I can't just go around telling my secrets”, Grimm replied.

“Understandable. What else can you do?”

The Troupe Master held out her hand in front of her and summoned a small flame right above her open palm. The butterfly stared at the fire, seemingly transfixed by its dance.

Grimm made the flame disappear and retracted her hand under her wings.

“Pretty, isn't it?” she said.

“Suits you”, Atalanta commented.

“Why, thank you.”

They sat down and talked for a while, sharing some sugar water and stories about whatever crossed their minds.

“Lately Divine has been teasing me a lot about how often I come here”, Grimm said. “I told her this wasn't what she was thinking of, but this didn't really deter her.”

“Does she think we...?”

“She keeps telling me to 'go out and have fun'. It's a bit much. Besides, just talking to you is already fun.”

Atalanta stared at her empty glass. Her guest suspected her focus was no longer on the here and now.

“'Have fun' as in, hum, mating?” she asked, still starring at her glass. “Do you want to...?”

“Do you?”

“...I don't know”, the butterfly admitted.

Her guest wondered whether she was just too polite to give a hard no. Part of her wished she did say no just so they could get this over with quicker.

“To me it would just be another way to spend time together”, Grimm explained, slightly tightening her wings around herself, “like talking or dancing. I am perfectly fine doing whatever you want.”

Atalanta served them both more sugar water and seemed to ponder the possibility for a little while. As she emptied her glass again, her gaze went from Grimm to her bed and back.

“If... if we actually... what should I expect?” she asked.

This was a fair question when it came to interspecies relations. The Troupe Master was pretty sure some of her predecessors had to answer it at some point, too.

“I am _not_ going to eat you if this is what you are worried about. That's Divine's thing.”

“...Good to know.”

“And, hum...” Grimm hesitated. “Let's just say there are no physical differences between female or male Grimms. Me, my father, his father, his parent, their mother, and so on... we're all identical.”

Atalanta nodded.

“But”, her guest quickly added, “if you'd rather, we can also _not_ do it and never speak of this again. The choice is yours.”

The butterfly stood up and paused... before sitting on her bed, saying something about how this could be interesting, and motioning Grimm to join her.

Oh. The taller creature hadn't really anticipated a yes, at least not that quickly, and oh dear Heart what was she supposed to do now? This body hadn't been with anyone this way yet. When was the last time one of her incarnations had been with a female bug, again? _Come on, Scarlet, think!_

Maybe it was three or four generations ago. It was all a bit of a blur.

“Come on”, Atalanta encouraged her. “Let's have fun.”

Grimm got up and joined the other lady on the bed.

Atalanta rolled off of Grimm's body and onto the mattress. With a contented sigh, she cuddled the other's side, resting a hand on her red thorax. There was a moment of pause as their breathing gradually went back to normal.

“Well, that was fun”, the butterfly laughed.

Grimm cupped her face with one hand and slowly caressed it with her thumb.

“We should do this again some time”, Atalanta said, leaning into the touch.

“Anything for you, my dear”, Grimm whispered.

She took her hand away and let it rest on the bed as her eyes slowly closed and her... partner? nuzzled her head against her. They cuddled in silence for a moment, the afterglow slowly fading to leave room for tiredness.

“...Anything?” Atalanta eventually repeated, still not moving.

Grimm opened her eyes and the butterfly continued :

“You know, even though we never really said it out loud to each other, I think the real reason my brother and I didn't leave when everyone else did is we were hopping the circus would come back one day...”

“Can I trust you with a secret, dear?”

“Hum?”

“You wish to join a circus”, the Troupe Master said. “The Grimm Troupe, however... The whole travelling circus image? It is but a façade. This isn't what we truly are.”

“So... what _is_ the Troupe?” Atalanta asked, propping herself up slightly to look at the other's face.

“Our role is... to sustain the Nightmare's Heart. This is what the Troupe was made for.”

“What is a Nightmare Heart?”

“The source of our power”, the Troupe Master explained. “The higher being we were tasked to serve. I am its vessel, like all Grimms before me.”

“That's... a lot to take in.”

“Do you _still_ wish to join?”

After a few seconds of silence, Atalanta replied :

“I'll also tell you a secret : I don't actually care that much about the circus thing now, I just want to get away from here. There is nothing left for me in this place. So... I might still join. I will think it over for a little while.”

She laid back down... then shot up again with a :

“Wait- does that mean I basically just mated with a higher being?!”

Grimm gave out a laugh.

“With its vessel anyway”, she replied, yawning. “Close enough. Now please get back down here and rest.”

The butterfly settled back against the Troupe Master's body, resting her head on her thorax. She could hear a faint beating sound similar to the one that could be heard around the Troupe's tent.

Grimm wrapped one wing around Atalanta, partially covering her while making sure the more delicate butterfly wings remained outside of her built-in blanket.

A few more days passed. Atalanta was now standing near the entrance in the main tent with Divine, Brumm and Zephyr.

“So, you've picked your new name, right?” the latter asked. “Have you told her?”

The butterfly said yes to both, then asked :

“Is everything ready?”

The others nodded.

“The Master is waiting” said Divine.

“Let us go then”, Brumm added.

The three Troupe members left to take their places in the audience. Atalanta went through how she was told the ceremony would go in her head. It was simple enough.

She walked into the stage area. All around it, every single seat was filled with Grimmkins and the other Troupe members, who waved at her.

She kept walking until she was near the centre ; then a drum roll with no visible source filled the tent, the flames illuminating the room shifted and flickered, and finally the Troupe Master appeared before her.

“So”, she said. “Are you ready to join the Grimm Troupe?”

“Yes.”

“Are you ready to serve the Nightmare Heart and aid its vessel in whatever way you are able?”

“Yes.”

“Are you ready to leave your previous life behind and begin anew in the Troupe?”

“Yes.”

“Then come closer”, Grimm instructed.

The new recruit took one more step forward. The Troupe Master produced a mask from underneath her wings and showed it to the shorter bug. It was completely blank, without even any eye holes.

“This is your last chance to change your mind”, the Heart's vessel stated. “Will you take on the mask? Or will you go back to your old life?”

The audience held their breaths...

“I will take on the mask.”

The audience cheered enthusiastically, then fell silent again to let their Master speak.

“Then I, Grimm, Troupe Master and Nightmare King...” she paused as she set the mask ablaze and the flames sculpted it to the right size & number of eyes and made it look more like the others, “...welcome you into the Troupe.”

Once the mask was no longer on fire, she handed it to the butterfly. The latter hovered her hand over it ; it was still hot but not to the point of harming her. She took it and put it on.

“Welcome home, Kaydence”, Grimm smiled.

The audience gave a roaring applause ; both Kaydence and the Master responded with a little bow.

“I will have my kin make a room for you”, Grimm said. “In the meantime...”

“I can use your bed”, the new Troupe member finished. “And maybe we could... celebrate a little. If you want to.”

The Troupe Master agreed this was a very good idea indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Grimm Troupe isn't a real circus, it's a cult poorly disguised as a travelling circus and you won't convince me otherwise


End file.
